Lib Novel Page 5
Lauren sighed. “Grandma, answer my question.”
“Oh all right. It’s simple. None of you tell me when you’re going places. You don’t check in with me, do you?”
“That’s not the same thing, and you know it.”
“Actually, it is exactly the same thing. I don’t know where you all get that I need a babysitter. The minute I hit seventy-five you all somehow think I need one of those necklaces where I push a button if I fall off the toilet.”
“Grandma…”
“Don’t Grandma me. I’m a grown woman who has a lot of living to do and I don’t need my family getting ready to put me in the grave.”
“No one is putting you in the grave or anywhere else.”
“That’s what Mr. Peabody’s family said, but they put him in that nursing home and the next thing he’s dead.”
“What? Mr. Peabody died? Oh, Grandma, I’m so sorry. I know how much you cared for him. Is that what this is all about?”
The silence on the other end of the call could have been that Lauren hit a nerve, but it also could mean that they’d lost their connection.
“Grandma? Are you still there?”
“I’m here,” she said, her voice barely audible.
“Your family loves you and just wants you to be safe. I, for one, am thrilled that you’re having fun on a cruise. I’m sure the rest of the family will be happy to hear that you’re feeling well enough to travel. You were sick for a little bit if you remember?”
“I remember, but I’m better now, and I want to have as much fun as I can while I can. I’m sorry if I worried anyone, but we’re going to need to find a happy balance so I don’t feel like I have to check in all the time. There is fun in taking off whenever I want without letting anyone know where I am. I don’t suppose you understand that.”
Lauren smiled remembering similar moments in her life when she felt exactly the same.
“You’re wrong, Grandma. I understand completely.”
The music and laughter returned. “Well, I’ve got to go. I want to see what St. Thomas is all about. I’ll send you some pictures just as soon as someone shows me how to use the camera on this thing.”
“Have fun, Grandma, and stay in touch.”
They ended the call and Lauren remembered that she’d promised to call Jeff. She dialed his number and was still shaking her head at her grandmother’s adventure.
“Hey, is she all right?” Jeff asked.
“I’d say more than all right. I’ll tell you all about it when I get home.”
Lauren locked her grandmother’s front door and walked to her car. She couldn’t stop smiling all the way home thinking that her sister Sarah might be their grandmother’s name sake, but she was her grandmother’s soulmate.
* * *
“Do you still have time to come with me for my fitting?” Beth asked Lauren.
“Yes, I can meet you on Newbury Street at about one o’clock if that works for you.
“That’s perfect. Maybe we should get lunch after? I don’t want to eat anything before my appointment.”
“Seriously, Beth. Do you really think one sandwich is going to make a difference?”
“Of course it will. I’m not taking any chances. I’ve got a meeting this morning, so I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at Flair.”
Lauren hung up the phone and focused on the road. She had enough time to run to the grocery store before driving into Boston. Having solved the mystery of her grandmother’s whereabouts, she wondered if she could squeeze in a visit to her brother Michael’s house.
She dialed his cell phone and Brea answered.